Hidden Behind Their Masks
by weekline7
Summary: Consuming masks fall in the presence of the other and their trueselves they find. Freedom is what they dream for and strength is what they need. Rated T to be safe. Oneshot.


This story has been on my computer awhile now, so the beginning has mistakes that I didn't feel like fixing. This is a one-shot, I do not plan on continuing. However, if someone wishes it and I agree to it, one could either continue with it or do a story of more detail of what happens between leaving Konoha and the end of the story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

* * *

Naruto POV:

I'm always training, working to become better, yet always acting. It's always been this way. No matter how strong I've become, I'm unable to show it. My damn mask has consumed my life, taken it so completely that I'm not sure who I really am anymore. All I know is my damned mask, so utterly consuming mask. All I know is that, yet, I hate it with a passion. I despise myself, what I have let my self become.

Cheerful. Naïve. Idiotic. Weak. Oh, how I hate the aura of weakness I have forced my self to give off. I'm always the cheerful, naïve, idiotic dobe, and I hate it. I want to stop but I can't and I hate myself for that even more.

I'm angry, so angry. At everything. Yet, I only use that anger to train, to get stronger. And still, no one knows, no one acknowledges my strength, my power. I'm still weak to them, still naïve little Naruto.

* * *

Normal POV:

Naruto sat in a tree, silent, blonde hair falling into his darkened blue eyes, studying his fore head protector. No one was around, he knew, no one was there to see his lips set in a thin line and his eyes cold as ice. And yet, he did not know, he still thought his mask was up, and his eyes exuding warmth. He was too deep in thought to notice the mask he hated so much had slipped, revealing his old self, his true self.

'_Why do I bare this symbol?'_ He thought as he studied the leaf carved into the metal. Slowly, thoughtfully, he ran a finger over the engraved leaf. _'This symbol has only caused me pain. Yet, I still wear it on my head, showing my allegiance to leaf. Why?' _He questioned to himself, never to receive an answer. He sighed to himself, as his thoughts lead him away without the answer he was searching for.

The sound of flesh hitting wood floated to his ears from a nearby training area. Curious and having nothing better to do, the blonde shoved the forehead protector into his pocket and silently headed towards the noise. He arrived to see Hyuuga Hinata. Her short bluish-black hair was already messy from her training, or was it anger. Her lavender eyes shone with fury and her face was contorted in a mix of concentration and rage. There was no blush in sight, Naruto noted to himself.

He also noted that her forehead protector was off to the side along with her beige jacket. Apparently, she wore a black tank top underneath. The log she was punching had the Hyuuga clan symbol etched into it deeply. Her attention and anger seemed to be solely on that.

As Naruto continued to watch her, he absently noted that Hinata had a nice figure and was surprisingly well-developed for a fourteen-year-old. _'She must be angry at her clan.'_ He noted. _'And Konoha.'_ He thought again after glancing at the abandoned forehead protector. Deciding that he wanted to talk he left his hiding place and leaned against a tree with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Well, aren't we happy?" He spoke sarcastically. The dark blue-haired girl whipped around to look at him with a surprised expression adorning her face. The expression took awhile to leave. _'It shouldn't have taken that long to get over her surprise, something else must be wrong.' _He thought to himself. Then it hit him, he finally realized he was no longer wearing his mask. The blonde found himself beginning to force himself to smile, immediately he stopped himself. _'Might as well keep it up as long as I can, I might not get another chance to find out who I really am, even if it's in front of her.'_

"Oh yes, wonderfully happy." She answered, sarcasm dripping from her voice while her lips morphed into a sarcastic smile. Naruto lifted an eyebrow in question. He had never heard her speak like _that_, then again, he had never seen her truly angry.

"Really? So, is it safe for me to assume that you're hiding that _wonderfully_ _happy_ mood behind a mask of spiteful anger?" He questioned with a smirk. She looked at him with cold calculating eyes, and snorted in an unladylike manner.

"Oh, how wonderfully observational you are." She said with the same amount of sarcasm as before except she sneered at him. All the blonde did was smirk at her. "No. It is not safe to assume that because I'm not happy, unless of course you didn't notice that." He continued to smirk, he liked this Hinata.

"I do all I can." He answered with a fake appreciative tone. Cold blue eyes met cold lavender eyes, time was at a stand still; the birds did not chirp, the wind did not blow, the leaves did not rustle, no animal made a noise.

And then Naruto broke the staring contest as he turned away and began to laugh. It wasn't his usual cheerful laugh, no; it was a cold, humorless laugh. The lavender eyed girl continued to watch him quizzically.

"Look at us," he started, "If anyone was watching us, they'd question our identity." He continued laughing his humorless laugh. And then, Hinata joined him as she agreed with his statement.

Suddenly Naruto ended his laughter. His cold blue eyes trained themselves on the lavender eyed girl. "Why, I wonder, is it so easy to let go of my mask in front of you. I'm finding out who I am, and I have you to thank and then myself to question. And then, after I'm through pondering that, there's you." His eyebrow's furrowed as he continued. "You; the shy, timid, gentle Hinata stands before me now, cold, angry, sarcastic, violent. Do you wear a mask, I wonder." The blonde cocked his head to the side.

"And if I said yes?" Hinata questioned, curious.

"Will you? Say yes, I mean." Naruto shot back.

"Yeah, I wear a mask around others what of it?"

"All I have to say is… Welcome to the club." He said waving his arms slightly and continuing with a short, demented laugh.

"I know." Was all she said in return.

"Is it that easy to tell?" He questioned the dark-haired girl.

"No, only one who watches and knows what it's like to wear a mask can truly tell. Fortunately for you, no ones cared to really watch you as you smile as you laugh that disgusting fake laugh. You are nothing but an idiot to them, to everyone."

"Oh," and then there was silence as they sat there, just being there without their mask.

* * *

Naruto POV:

I don't know what happened then; I doubt I ever will, but something, something made me keep my mask away. This time, I didn't need to think about what I was doing, I just did it and it felt so good.

We just laid there in silence; we never spoke a word to each other, not even when she left. And after she left, I felt the damned smile return to my face. Automatically; and the frustration of my mask returned back to me; it wasn't any more or less frustrating than before, but it was still there, continuing to bother me. Continuing to frustrate me and make me think. I never left that clearing that night, nor did I fall asleep. My head was buzzing with too many thoughts to rest, to let me fall into my world of nightmares.

* * *

The next time I saw her, she had her mask back on, her own shy and weak mask; so much like mine, the whole mask leading to the idea of weakness. When she noticed me, she looked at me quizzically; I imagine the same look was running through my eyes as well. We didn't speak to each other, never mentioning or slightly crazy sounding discussion and neither of us showing any hint of the conversation either; after that we just went our separate ways, having other stuff to involve our fake selves in.

Fake. That's all I am, all we are, I realized. We hide our real selves, the way we really think and what we really believe behind our masks of weakness. Weakness, I hated that word, I hated the definition of that word. And I imagine she does, too, but will I ever know for sure, I wonder.

* * *

Every day after that incident, I went to a nearby training ground to train and listen for the sounds of her beating that log, even as I trained my body to my maximum. I wanted to see her mask fade, to feel my mask fade, to be me, to know who I am. It was weeks before I saw her there again.

* * *

Normal POV:

A sweaty and tired Naruto sat in a tree, listening to the howling wind and chirping birds. He had just finished his own hard and grueling training session. When the few people that searched for him saw his pain and struggle when he trained always asked him why he put himself through such things. He answered them by saying it would make him strong enough to retrieve Sasuke, but that wasn't true, nor would it ever be the truth. He wanted to become strong so he could leave Konoha without any hindrance or threat to him.

And then he heard it; the sound of flesh hitting wood. Without any indication that he was ever tired he made his way towards the sound, hoping it was Hinata. He wasn't disappointed; he came across a scene similar to last time, except with a different log.

He slowly stepped out of the shadows; the smile he was wearing fell, much to his delight. He really didn't want to wear it, he never did. In its place was a small, soft smile no one had seen before.

"What did they do?" He questioned softly. His eyes weren't as cold as they were before but they were still far to guarded for what a fourteen-year-old's eyes should be. The lavender eyed girl turned to him, slowly this time, with a small smile of her own.

"Don't you know how do say 'hello?'" She questioned; she was obviously joking.

"I suppose." She lifted a delicate eyebrow in question. "But then that would be polite, and I never learned any manners." He cocked his head to the side and furrowed his eyebrows. Hinata suppressed a giggle.

"Yet you still know what polite is." She stated.

"Yes." He said emotionlessly with a small nod. "So what did they do to make you angry?" He questioned as he gestured to the beaten Hyuuga symbol.

"They called me weak." She stated with an underlying tone of anger evident in her voice. The blonde merely raised an eyebrow in question.

"As far as I can tell, they've always done that." He paused as he placed his hand to his chin in a thinking position. "You know, you could always drop your mask." At this Naruto sat down and leaned against a tree with his arms crossed over his chest; Hinata followed, except she leaned against the training log.

"What stops you from letting go of your mask, your act, when someone calls you weak or stupid?" She questioned instead or answering his question.

"I fear I have lost myself within my mask." He answered with a heavy sigh and sad eyes.

"I assume I am the first to see you like this, then." Naruto nodded. "As it turns out, you are the first to see me like this and it seems I have the same condition as you, except around you. Go figure."

"Same here." He sighed as he averted his eyes to the ground. "There is another question I must ask you; why do you throw down your forehead protector as you train?"

"I do not like serving this village and do not wish to get stronger for it." The lavender eyed girl answered as she shifted her eyes to the sky. "Freedom." She muttered so only she could hear.

"I wish to leave this place, and I train to get stronger so I can leave; is that what you strive for, leaving to be free." Naruto said as his eyes studied her. Hinata's eyes whipped from the sky to meet his gaze.

"Yes." She answered short and simple, cold and emotionless.

"Tsk, tsk, why so cold all of a sudden?" It was a joke but it was said in a tone that was not meant for a joke. He, of course, received no answer. "Oh, I see defense mechanism, right?" The blonde nodded to himself.

And silence.

* * *

Naruto POV:

We sat there, quiet, listening to soft sounds of nature; enjoying the fact that our masks were not up. I know not how long we stayed there, enjoying ourselves and wallowing in our own thoughts, but I remember the sky had darkened and the stars were twinkling above before she left.

I stayed awhile longer, thinking, enjoying the cool breeze against my face. Today was a good day, I decided, before I got up and left.

* * *

Once again, we didn't talk to each other when we met in public, nor did we acknowledge the fact that we had ever talked in private. It was for the best, I decided.

But I still went to that spot everyday, training and waiting for her, my savior, to show up. After a week, she did.

When she showed up, she wasn't angry and she smiled softly at my presence, as if she was hoping I would be there.

* * *

Normal POV:

The lavender-eyed teen greeted her favorite blonde with a soft smile. She was glad he was here; in fact she had been hoping he would be waiting for her.

She had been hoping for a sparring partner who knew that the abilities she showed to people weren't real. "So, Naruto, need a sparring partner?"

Naruto grinned, "Sure," he sank into a stance; there were no openings. Hinata followed suit by falling into the Hyuuga tai-jutsu stance.

* * *

Naruto POV:

And we sparred. It was hard, so very hard. But it allowed me to test my abilities. At the end, I was satified, and I'm sure Hinata was too. It was, after all, a great spar where we both tested our hidden abilities.

After that day, we met up once a week to train. We sparred, did endurance training, practiced with weapons, and talked, about everything and nothing. It was great.

Soon we were meeting more often and getting stronger quickly. Everyday after our team training or missions, we would meet; sometimes for the need to talk but more often to train, and train hard.

Our teams were beginning to wonder where we went everyday, though they never connected anything between us, nor did they look to far into our slight change in personalities for after awhile, are mask slipped slightly, not much though. Such idiots they are.

* * *

It was a year after our meetings first began that I decided I was strong enough to leave the village. I would ask Hinata too, if she wanted to come, because she was strong enough as well.

* * *

Normal POV:

Naruto was waiting in a tree, his feet dangling from either side of a large branch. His hair, which was not held up by the forehead protector, swayed in the slight breeze. Today was the day where he was going to ask Hinata to join him in leaving the village. He hoped she agreed.

At the moment Naruto was wondering what was taking so long. Hinata was usually here by now. And so the demon vessel began to worry. He kept his ears open for any movement, anything that would tell him if the Hyuuga heiress was coming.

He was about to get up and leave when he felt the angry aura racing towards him. It belonged to Hinata, he knew; and so he settled down and waited until she got there.

The blonde didn't have to wait long, as Hinata soon arrived, the byakugan active in her anger. Naruto jumped down from his tree branch, he walked over to her and rapped his arms around her in a comforting hug, "What's wrong?" He questioned softly.

"My clan! They want to put the caged-bird seal on me because they decided I am too weak to be the clan's heir!" The lavender-eyed teen snarled. Naruto tightened his grip.

"Then let's get out of here; out of Konoha," he whispered to her, "Let's leave without a trace; live and learn outside Konoha, I think we're strong enough to. And if we're not, they won't be able to find us 'cause we won't leave a trail. So, what do ya say, it's what we've always wanted?" He looked down at her, and she looked up at him. Blue studied lavender, and lavender studied blue.

Slowly, Hinata nodded.

* * *

Naruto POV:

And so we left, without a trace. They didn't find us for years, and when they did find us, we had learned from many senseis and had become very powerful, they were unable to beat us and ended up dead.

We became legendary, and feared by all but those who we came to know after leaving the leaf. We never entered Konoha again; we declined any missions that had us go in Konoha except those of sabotage.

* * *

I was eighteen when I finally asked her out, she said yes. And we dated for a long time. Many people thought we made a cute couple.

We soon fell in love, and I asked her too marry me, she excitedly said yes and we married.

* * *

When I was twenty, Akatsuki attacked. I had begun to wonder if they were dead or had given up before then, but apparently not. The battles were incredible, but eventually Hinata and I took down all our opponents. And soon all the members of Akatsuki died, either by our hands or by others.

And our lives went on. We killed anyone who went against our beliefs and saved anyone who we thought deserved saving.

* * *

When I was twenty-one, Orochimaru came to me and asked me to join him in his quest to destroy Konoha. I refused. And then he did something stupid, he threatened that if I didn't help him that he would hurt Hinata. He must have believed than Hinata and I were weaker than him for him to actually threaten either one of us. I still killed him then and there, with little effort, for even hinting that he might hurt my precious person.

Soon after, I left to Sound and destroyed it, just in case some of his followers decided they might try and go through with their leader's threat. During the destruction, I met Sasuke, who seemed absolutely shocked to see me; me without my forehead protector or disgusting orange clothing, me with all my rightfully gained power. I killed him easily, him still being too shocked to fight. I guessed he didn't know I ever left the leaf, I didn't care though, I just kept on going with my destruction.

I walked away from the burning sound village to see Konoha troops staring at the destruction. They must have planned an attack that night. No one identified me, not that I know of at least, they were two captivated by the fact that sound had been destroyed and was now burning before them.

* * *

I had quickly made my way back to Hinata and I told her of my escapades. She was disappointed that she didn't get to go, but happy that I cared for her so much as to destroy a village. And she rewarded me.

* * *

A month later, she told me that she was pregnant. At first I didn't know how to react, but soon I could be found grinning from ear to ear, shouting, 'I'm gonna be a dad!'

* * *

Eight months later, our child was born, healthy and strong. He was beautiful, with silky blonde hair and pale, pupilless blue eyes. He became our life, our pride. We named him Arashi.

After him, we had many children, and they grew up strong. We made sure each one grew up happy, unlike us.

And so we lived on, never being bothered by Konoha, which was too caught up in its own affairs to try, once.

* * *

Our children grew up to be powerful ninja, and lived on to make their own legacy and their children after them, and their children after them, and so on.

Our family was known around the world as the free family, and every ninja wished to be like our family; free of any village responsibility and to do as they please.

I believe, because of us, that many ninja's became missing-nin in hopes of having a family like ours. Many died because they weren't strong enough or were out-numbered, but the few who did survive also became great, but we were still the greatest and the most looked-up to.

After all that, it's sometimes hard for me to believe that I had once lived in Konoha where I was always in pain but under a mask of weakness and happiness.

* * *

Well, that's it, I hope you liked it, please review, thank you for reading. 


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